A New Beginning
by Aquaria Identity 07
Summary: Hobbes is tired of being a tiger, so, using the Transmogrifier, he turns into a human for a day. The only problem is this: he can't change back, forcing Calvin to think about his "relationship" with Susie . . . Hobbes/Susie/Calvin triangle. Chapter 5 up!
1. Intro

**Hiya! This is my first Calvin & Hobbes fanfic, so please, no flames. I accept constructive criticism. ******** Hope this goes well: it's my first fanfic in two years! I apologize to anyone who doesn't get the beginning. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: Intro**

What is your favourite season? If you were to ask any inhabitant of a certain town in Mid-Western USA, this would most likely be their answer: Autumn. The signs of summer – intense heat, outings at the beach and, of course, summer vacation – would disappear, and autumn is born as soon as its predecessor has died at last.

In that town I was speaking of, Autumn has never disappointed the townsfolk once. While Summer was working her magic, Autumn was busy bringing her show altogether, and once Summer's show had ended, Autumn's show was to begin.

Emerald green leaves turned to stunning colours of ruby red, golden yellow and brassy brown. As soon as they had fallen from their respective branches, Mother Nature decided to show off for a while. The wind gathered the jewel-like leaves into their invisible arms, and, in a magnificent display of beauty, guided them in a dance that included cascades, twirls, swoops and turns. The sun acted as a kind of spotlight, lighting up the leaves in their dance to show them off to the world. Soon, the wind would abandon their partners, leaving them scattered around on the ground like confetti.

Despite the crispy, cold air and the light showers of rain over the few days, everyone was happy and at peace. It also brought families and friends together at times, especially when they went for walks in the woods or fishing together. Yes, Autumn was definitely the most perfect season in that town.

And it was during this beautiful Autumn in this town, that it all started . . .

* * *

Seven years. Seven, long years since the day Hobbes was captured in a clever tiger-trap. Yes, Hobbes was a tiger. To others, he appeared to be a stuffed toy tiger. They were wrong. He was a real tiger: his coat was wild orange marked with black stripes, with white fur adorning his face all the way down to his stomach. Other than his long whiskers and equally long tail, one of the things he liked most about his appearance was his eyes: emerald green eyes that were enough to scare someone in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately, the only person he could scare was Calvin, who was his best friend and whom he lived with for the past seven years. The adventures they had together during those years were extraordinary: traveling back in time, fighting off deranged mutant killer monster snow goons, special G.R.O.S.S (**G**et **R**id **O**f **S**limy Girl**S**) club missions . . . and it still continued even though Calvin was now thirteen.

Hobbes stood on hind-legs at the window, looking out at two teenagers – a boy and a girl - who were standing at the school bus-stop. The boy, whom Hobbes had his eyes on, had spiky yellow-coloured hair that stood up: it gave the impression he had received some sort of electric shock. He wore a red t-shirt underneath a light-blue coat, a pair of black jeans and red-and-white shoes. The boy was an inch taller than the girl he was with.

The girl had shoulder-length brown hair, and her eyes were a soft hazel. She, too, wore a coat, but it was coloured a very light purple, and the rest of her attire consisted of a bright yellow shirt, blue jeans and dark-blue sneakers. This girl was the same age as the boy (that being thirteen). Her hazel eyes shined as she hugged a thick book to her chest.

"Isn't it wonderful to go back to school?" said Susie Derkins, looking at the boy, who looked very miserable. "I can't wait to learn new things, make new friends and work, work, work! What about you, Calvin?"

The boy looked at Susie and studied her for a few seconds before saying, "Wait, I hear something. Can you hear that?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Susie, straining her ears, but she could not detect a sound. "What is it?"

"Well, it's the sound of nobody actually caring!" said Calvin, throwing his arms up in the air. "For God's sake, Susie, you've been at school with me for seven years already! You know I hate school! We're forced to go there against our wills to be tortured and brainwashed while our so-called parents are planning to get rid of us! Though of course, I wouldn't mind if they got rid of you-"

"Grow up, Calvin," said Susie, frowning at him with disgust. "And for once in your life, actually do what I say for once!"

But Calvin was lost in his world, muttering things like, "They think I don't know, but I know! They should never doubt my genius! I'm too great and special to be doubted!"

"More like a great idiot and a special case," muttered Susie, rolling her eyes. It was amazing that she hadn't gone mad ever since she met Calvin, but by now she was used to his wild imagination and the fact he was still carrying around that stuffed tiger.

While Susie was thinking about these facts, Hobbes walked away from the window, sighing to himself. From the window, he could hear their conversation. Yup, just an ordinary day.

Hobbes flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. He was bored. There were no new comics to be read or vandalized, no television to watch (the television was being repaired, as Calvin accidentally broke the screen while playing football in the house), no (edible) food to eat . . . but even if those things were there, Hobbes would still be bored. Staying at home everyday was not as grand as Calvin thought it was.

"I wish I can go to school with Calvin," said Hobbes out loud, sitting up. "I admit, my maths skills aren't as perfect as I said. Maybe I can meet new friends, try things I never did before. I wanna go out there into the real world and be like those other people who are actually doing something, rather than sleeping around all day. I want to see how THEY live!"

Hobbes jumped off the bed, his chest puffed up with pride and his eyes to the heavens (or ceiling, in this case). "I want people to take me seriously for once! I'm tired of being treated as some sort of cuddly tiger toy! In fact, I don't want to be a tiger anymore! I want to be the only thing that can be granted with respect! To be noticed by everyone! To actually be taken seriously! I want to be a HUMAN!"

After that speech, the tiger was out of breath, inhaling and exhaling with a little bit of trouble. When he got his breath back, Hobbes sat back on the bed, putting his face in his hands.

"All I want is to be human. Surely it isn't that hard? That's all I want . . ."

Hobbes remained like that for a few minutes, then he lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling again.

"The question is: how?"

Little did Hobbes know, and soon Calvin, the answer was in the form of a cardboard box . . .

* * *

**Woo!! I'm finally done this chapter. It took round about two hours, but I did it. If any of you find a mistake in spelling or grammar, don't hesitate to tell me. ^^**

**Hope you liked this chapter. Best I could do. :)**

**Reviews are welcome! :)**

**Seeya! ;)**


	2. The Transmogrifier

**Chapter 2: The Transmogrifier**

"Y'know Calvin, you're the only person I know whose gotten detention on the first day of school."

"Shut up, Susie," said Calvin, staring out the bus window with a look of anger sketched on his face. The first day of school was officially over at last, but one could tell that it didn't go very well for Calvin. Nor for the principal and some of the other teachers involved as well.

Unfortunately for Calvin, Susie _didn't_ shut up. "I mean, the gymnasium is ruined now because of the flood. You must've realized that those were sprinklers you set fire to?"

Calvin grunted in reply.

"Ms Leopold wasn't exactly happy when she saw what you did to her car. You can't even drive yet, you moron! And Mr DeLuise nearly exploded in Home Economics when he had to pay the Pizza Delivery guy for _your _pizza. And poor Mr Channing, I bet he'll never see ink the same way again. By the way, in Biology, where did that bucket of noodles come from?"

Calvin resisted the urge of throwing Susie out the window, so instead the teen growled in response to Susie's prattling. Hobbes was kind enough to teach an eight-year-old Calvin the proper way to growl – tiger style.

"Always start with a low hum," Hobbes had said. "That indicates the presence of a tiger. Raise the tone a little higher, and then back to low again. Kind of like you're eating yummy chocolate. It never fails."

What Hobbes failed to mention was that this personal growling technique of his was to attract the opposite sex.

Susie paused and blushed when she heard him growl, but before she could say anything the bus pulled into their street. The moment the door opened, Calvin was out his seat and out the door faster than you could say "Deranged mutant killer monster snow goons". By the time Susie had set a foot on the pavement, Calvin was already on the front step of his house.

You probably already know what usually happens when the teen comes home from school. Behind the front door, crouching in wait, would be Hobbes, ready to pounce onto Calvin the second the teen called out, "I'm HOME!" and opens the door. It's not that the tiger did that to have a cruel laugh at Calvin's expense, but rather because he missed his friend very much. Despite the pain and bruises Hobbes made for him, Calvin accepted this type of affection. Right now, he needed to see a friendly face.

"I'm HOME!" called Calvin, opening the door and then backing away a little.

Nothing happened.

"I'm HOME!" Calvin called again.

Nothing happened.

"I'm HOME!"

_Still _nothing happened.

Calvin growled impatiently. "Didn't you hear me?! I'm HOME! Get out here and smother me with words of affection and worship NOW, you rotten flea-bag!"

"Are you talking to _me_, young man?!" Calvin's mom appeared at the doorway, looking very peeved indeed. "Your principal called! Your father and I are going to have a talk with you when he gets back!"

Her son took no notice, pushing past her without greeting or correcting her, or even hanging up his coat and backpack. The teen marched up the stairs, cursing under his breath and muttering something about making a fur-coat or a rug out of "his mangy hide".

Calvin threw open his bedroom door, walked in, closed the door and locked it, expecting Hobbes to be cowering under the bed in fear. Nope. There he was, lying on the bed and looking up at the ceiling with a dazed look in his eyes.

_And this is better than pouncing the hell out of me?!_

Calvin stared at the tiger, putting his hands on his hips and exclaimed, "Well?!"

Hobbes turned to look at him and said, "So you're home."

"No duh!" said Calvin, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "What's the matter with you? Why didn't you come when I called you?"

As he was saying this, Hobbes was off the bed and onto his feet. Undoubtedly, Calvin was an inch or two taller than his furry friend. Hobbes had often voiced his opinion about the teen's height, saying it's unnatural for stick insects to grow taller than tigers.

"I'm not your pet, you moron," said Hobbes, looking superior all of a sudden. "We tigers are independent individuals, and we follow our instincts rather than the commands of inferior humans –"

"I'm not commanding you, you imbecile!" interrupted Calvin, throwing his arms up in the air. "All that I'm asking is why didn't you come and run me over?! And call me inferior one more time and I'll skin you alive!"

Hobbes sighed and sat back on the bed. His anger having melted away, Calvin felt clear-headed, enabling him to sense that something was wrong his friend. The teen sat down next to him, feeling slightly embarrassed: he wasn't really good at comforting people. "Soooo, what's wrong, Hobbes?"

Yes, he was _that_ bad.

Hobbes smiled, knowing this was the best Calvin could do to break the ice. He looked at his friend and said, "I've been thinking."

"Is that all?" said Calvin, smiling. "For a moment I thought this was serious. You really had me worried there, Hobbes, ol' pal."

"… it is serious, Calvin," said Hobbes, glaring at the teen.

"Oh."

"Well, for _me_, it is anyway," said the tiger, twiddling his thumbs – or paws. "You see, I was thinking about my life. I'm not exactly happy about who I am at this moment in time-"

"Oh my God, you're going to commit suicide!" exclaimed Calvin horrifically, jumping off the bed. "Don't do this to me, Hobbes! I'm too young and handsome for you to die! Mind you, we can discuss your will-"

"Chillax, Calvin," said Hobbes. Living here seven years and he was used to his friend's behavior and over-reactions. "I'm not committing suicide. Start worrying about yourself, because when your dad gets home-"

"To Mars with Dad!" said Calvin, "because right now, my number-one priority is you, so put _that _in a juice box and suck it!"

Hobbes smiled and hugged himself, pretending to look embarrassed. "Shucks, I didn't know you cared."

"Yeah, yeah, I know I'm great," Calvin said, smiling. He sat himself down on a large cardboard box. "Talk to me. What have you been thinking about?"

Hobbes coughed and continued his talk. "Before I was rudely interrupted," (Calvin stuck a tongue out at him) "what I'm trying to say is that something is missing in my life."

"A girlfriend?"

Hobbes rolled his eyes. "No, you reject. I'm talking about _excitement_. The thrill of doing of something new, something I've never done before."

Calvin stared at the tiger in disgust. "Are you saying you wanna get laid?"

Hobbes fell off the bed. "NO!! Where the heck did you get _that_ idea from?! Besides, I'm saving my good self for marriage."

"Well, choose your words carefully next time, okay?" replied the teen, shaking his head. "C'mon, drama queen, tell me more."

"Anyway," started Hobbes (again), getting up from the floor, "what I'm _really _saying is that I'm tired of being myself. Of being a tiger. It's not really the trendiest animal to be anymore."

"Yeah, I pretty much ruined that chance for everyone when I tried to be a tiger," agreed Calvin, kicking his legs against the box.

"Absolutely true. You didn't really enjoy being a tiger … and I see what you mean now."

"What are you trying to say, Hobbes?"

"Like I said, I'm tired of being a tiger. As a matter of fact, I don't want to be a tiger anymore. Calvin… I wanna be a human."

No one said anything … for two seconds. Calvin exclaimed, "You whaaaaat?"

Hobbes sighed. "I said I wanna be a human."

"Why?" asked Calvin, cocking his head to one side, disbelief written all over his face. "Only a few minutes ago, you called humans inferior!"

"I take it way back," said Hobbes, crossing his arms. "I only said that because you came in here, all dictator-like and Master-of-my-fate stuff. It annoyed me."

"Well, pardon me for bursting your happy bubble," muttered Calvin, crossing his arms too. "But really Hobbes, why do you want to be a human?"

The tiger glared at the teen. "Did all that stuff about "excitement" and "tired of being a tiger" I just told you mean anything, or did I just waste my breath?"

"Sheesh, don't get all Susie Derkins on me," responded Calvin, rolling his eyes. "Besides, being a human means going to school, learning stuff, meeting weird people-"

Calvin paused when he saw the look on Hobbes's face. A look of happiness … it's not everyday the young teen saw the tiger like that. He had to admit, the thought of staying home alone, sleeping and watching reruns on TV everyday … it must be helluva boring after a long while.

The teen smiled. "-but if becoming a human is what you want, Hobbes, ol' pal, I'll be there for you."

A second after he muttered these words, Calvin found himself on the floor – in pain. Hobbes had his arms around the teen, saying "I knew I could count on you, Calvin!"

"Get off me, you loveable and delayed pouncing idiot!" replied Calvin, trying to lift Hobbes off him. "And help me up, while you're at it!"

The tiger leapt off his friend and pulled him up, back onto the cardboard box. Calvin felt his head pounding in agony, but his heart was beating with affection – oddly enough. "Good God, you could have warned me, you know!"

"Hey, you can't expect a tiger to warn people when they're about to pounce, can you?" said Hobbes, grinning madly. "Besides, I forgot to do that when you came home."

Calvin dusted himself off. "No kidding. Now, how are we going to make you a human?"

Hobbes sat down next to Calvin on the cardboard box. "I haven't thought about that yet."

For the next five or so minutes, the two friends sat there in silence on the cardboard box, thinking very, very hard. Calvin started to tap his fingers against the box, while Hobbes took to cleaning his whiskers.

Suddenly, Calvin banged his hand against the box and exclaimed, "I got it! I know what we can do! It's been sitting right under my nose this whole time, in fact!"

Hobbes sat up straight. "What is it? Tell me!"

The teen smiled deviously. "Under this very cardboard box … is a pair of scissors! We can cut all your fur off, get you some of my Dad's clothes and then you'll be a human!"

Hobbes frowned. "I see a very big flaw in your plan."

"What?"

Hobbes pointed at his tail. "What about this?"

The teen sighed. "We can hide it, you idiot! Geez, for a moment I thought you were gonna say that your fur will grow back, everyone will notice the claws and fangs or the plan won't work at all!"

"Yeah. That stuff, too."

"Well, I don't see _you_ coming up with ideas."

"I'm thinking," said Hobbes, looking irritated. "And mind you, I want to be a human for one day, because I may not want to be one anymore if it's boring."

Calvin nodded in agreement. "Question is, where can we find a device that change you to a human and back to a tiger?"

Again, they sat in silence, and once more, Calvin banged his hand against the box and said, "I got it! I know what we can do! It's been sitting right under my nose this whole time! In fact, the solution is right under our very butts!"

"That sounded really wrong, no offence," replied Hobbes, jumping off the box. "But what do you mean?"

"It's simple," the teen said, getting off the box as well. "This cardboard box!"

"Are you saying …?"

"That's right, Hobbes," said Calvin, smiling. "It's our old friend, the Transmogrifier, and with it, you can turn into a human AND back to a tiger!"

Calvin leant down and turned the box around, and, for all to see, the word "TRANSMOGRIFIER" and other words, along with an arrow, appeared. Calvin and Hobbes smiled at each other.

World, here comes Hobbes.

* * *

**OMG, I actually updated something. ^3^ Believe it or not, this took me a few hours to write, but thank goodness this chappa is done, now. :D**

**Reviews are welcome! :)**

**Seeya! ;)**


	3. ZAP!

**Chapter 3: ZAP!**

Hobbes poked at the Transmogrifier. "Does this thing still even work?"

"You dare doubt my genius?!" demanded Calvin, looking at him in scrutiny.

"I did a long time ago."

Calvin ignored that remark, and took to cleaning the dust off his beloved invention. Well, it _was _his beloved invention when he was younger. Unfortunately as he got older, the more schoolwork, projects and assignments he had, taking up most of his free time – the rest of his free time was hanging out with Hobbes and doing what they did best: getting into trouble. Calvin grinned evilly to himself at the thought of the chaos the duo created in the past, and the victims who had to suffer. Mwa ha ha …

Hobbes noticed the teen's almost demented smile, totally getting the wrong idea, and immediately stepped back from the Transmogrifier. "I'm having second-thoughts about this, Calvin …"

"Chillax, Hobbo," replied Calvin, smiling good-naturedly this time – only used when he had a mad idea. "You'll be fine. After all, it is all _your_ idea."

"_Not_ the "using-the-Transmogrifier" idea!"

"But you agreed to it!"

"So? I can un-agree!"

"You mean _dis_agree, you moron!"

"My grammar isn't the most greatest, okay?"

"See, that's why you need to become a human!" exclaimed Calvin, taking Hobbes by his arm. "One day at my school and maybe you can actually learn something smart for once in your life! And knowing you, you'll learn _loads_!"

Hobbes rolled his eyes. "You don't have to rub it in my face."

"Yeah, your fur might be full of dirty stuff," said Calvin, peering at the tiger's face, then he jumped back in fright. "Oh my God, there's a flea the size of Susie Derkins's brain on the middle of your face – oh wait, that's your nose."

Hobbes was NOT amused. "Forgive me for not laughing, because I'm not wearing my girdle and I don't want my sides to split."

The teen stuck a tongue at him, and continued dusting the Transmogrifier. The arrow was beginning to redden, and the words beside "TRANSMOGRIFIER" began clearer to get clearer: EEL, BABOON, BUG, DINOSAUR, TIGER, CALVIN ("Scratch that out before you do anything to me," commented Hobbes, earning him a mouthful of "interesting" words) and WORMS. Calvin stood back and gazed proudly at one of his prized creations/destroyers of peace and goodwill.

"There! Good as new," said the teen, as if he created the Transmogrifier for the first time.

Hobbes, however, looked worried. Calvin glanced at him, sighed and said, "Good grief Hobbes, do you honestly think I'm gonna carelessly throw you underneath this thing and transmogrify you without testing the Transmogrifier first?"

"Uh, yes?"

"Typical," mumbled the teen, lifting the cardboard box. Lying underneath it was the pair of scissors Calvin was talking about in the last chapter. Calvin opened up his backpack and took out his school pencil case. He zipped it open and pulled out a black marker. Calvin got down on knees and wrote "CUPCAKE" on the cardboard surface.

"Cupcake?" questioned Hobbes, scratching his head.

Calvin shrugged. "Hey, I'm hungry. If I dare go downstairs Mom will have _me _for a midday snack."

"I see."

The teen shrugged again, getting back onto his feet. "You know what they say about brunettes: they make better psychos. So far, Mom and Susie Derkins fit into that category."

"Obviously your hair must be dyed," remarked the tiger. His friend bowed, as if it were a compliment. He turned his attention to the Transmogrifier, and said, "This will take but only a second."

He turned the red arrow until it pointed to "CUPCAKE", and then –

_ZAP!_

"I told you so," said Calvin, smirking. Hobbes mumbled something about "coincidence". Calvin lifted the box carefully, savoring the moment of the immense power of this cardboard box, what use it could have on the world –

"You are joking!"

"What?" asked Hobbes, ready to run if the transmogrification didn't work out alright yet Calvin will still throw him into a life-threatening situation … Calvin pushed his hands right into Hobbes's face and yelled, "Can you believe it? I wanted icing on this stupid cupcake!"

Hobbes focused his vision on his friend's outstretched hands, and saw a normal-looking cupcake. "It works," he muttered, relieved.

"But I wanted icing on my cupcake!" whined Calvin, munching angrily on the scissors-turned-plain cupcake, spilling crumbs over the floor. "Or at least a cherry!"

"I guess you need to be more specific on what you wanna be," answered Hobbes, still amazed that the Transmogrifier worked after all these years. "Remember when you turned into a tiger, you were the size of – let's put it tactfully – a midget."

"Yeah, I remember," replied the teen, finishing off the last of the cupcake. "If you're going to be a human, you'll have to be a teenage one. That way you can come to school with me."

"How delightful."

"I know," Calvin said with a smile. He had the marker back in his hand, and then he got back down on his knees and wrote "TEEN HUMAN" under "CUPCAKE". Once he was standing once more, the teen said to the tiger, "Alright, get under there."

Hobbes stood dead-still, his eyes closed.

Calvin put his hands on his hips. "Hobbes, get under the box."

"Give me a minute," replied Hobbes, taking a deep breath. "This is definitely gonna be a change for me, and I want to spend my last remaining moments as a tiger."

"Good grief Hobbes, you're only gonna be a human for _one day_," Calvin scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Besides, you've been transmogrified before."

"But not into a human, buster," said his friend, opening one eye and looking slightly perturbed. "I may want to be a one for longer than a day. Now don't rush me."

For five whole minutes, the tiger stood there with his eyes closed, remembering the good times he had with Calvin as his animal-self: playing in the snow, playing Calvin-ball, wagon-riding, plotting, fighting, complaining, talking, TV-watching, stalking, pouncing … maybe he'll get to do at least five of these things with Calvin, but as a different person …

"Enough of this emotional crud!" said Calvin, waving his arms in the air. Hobbes sighed in irritation as he opened his eyes and said, "Honestly, you have no patience."

"I do. It's just that it ran out 10 seconds after you went into your little meditation!" replied the teen. "Now hurry up, I need the bathroom. The excitement is killing me, and that cupcake is making my stomach work –"

"Spare me the details!" interrupted Hobbes, wondering if all humans acted like Calvin. He got down onto the floor, into his cat-nap position. Calvin lifted the cardboard box into his arms and placed it over Hobbes's body, slowly and carefully. It fitted over his whole body, tail and all – only just.

Calvin kneeled down and laid on his stomach on the ground, lifting the box for last-minute instructions. Hobbes stuck his head out, his face nearly touching the teen's own.

"Are you ready, buddy?" Calvin asked, smiling.

"I think so," answered Hobbes, his breath smelling oddly of bubblegum. Calvin knew his friend often helped himself to the teen's not-so-secret supply of bubblegum, but now was not the right time to confront the tiger about: Calvin didn't want to agitate him even further.

"It'll work, Hobbes. You can trust me."

"Right. By the way, do you know if you say the word "gullible" over and over again, you get the word "cheese"?"

Calvin did this in his mind, saying "gullible" over and over again, but he stopped when he saw Hobbes's face. "Hey, it doesn't say "cheese"! You tricked me!"

"You're so gullible," said Hobbes, smiling slightly. "But see, what happens if this thing doesn't work, too? I trust you with my life, but I could end up as striped cheese, or a snail, or even –"

"Hobbes! It's. Going. To. Work," said Calvin with unwavering belief. "Even if you change into one of things, we can always try again. It's a damn Transmogrifier after all."

Hobbes smiled, and so did Calvin. The teen placed a hand on the tiger's fuzzy cheek, both in comfort and in love for this loveable feline. Hobbes purred in appreciation, grateful for his friend's support. Who knows, maybe he'll have smooth skin instead of fuzz – or scales, or feathers, etc.

Calvin patted Hobbes's head affectionately, saying, "Alright, put your head back in now. See you when you get out."

And with that, Hobbes's tiger-face was gone for the last time.

Hmm, that makes a good song, thought Calvin, getting up and moving to the side of the cardboard box. Tiger-face. Kinda like Pokerface. Can't see my, can't see my, no, they can't see my tiger-face! He's fuzzy like nobody!

"T-t-t-tiger-face, t-t-tiger-face," Calvin said to himself, kneeling in front of the red arrow. He knocked gently on the box. "Hobbes, can you hear me?"

"Yes!" came a muffled voice. "Now hurry up, there's no air holes in here!"

"Who has no patience now?" retorted Calvin, putting his hand on the arrow. "I got my hand on the arrow! On the count of three! One … two … three!"

Hobbes screamed as Calvin turned the arrow to "TEEN HUMAN".

_ZAAAAP!!_

The screaming stopped after that seemingly long zap. Calvin mentally noted to himself about that, but he put that aside when he realized what happened. He never used anything to change into a person like him, only changed them into bugs and objects and other stuff. The process may have taken longer because he was using a real-life tiger to change into a human.

Then did that mean it worked …?

"Hobbes?" the teen whispered. No sound came from underneath the Transmogrifier.

This was too much for Calvin. "Hobbes?!" he exclaimed, banging his hand on top of his invention. "Answer me, you nutcase! I _seriously_ need the bathroom, and I'm not going until you say something! I promise I won't blame you if I wet myself!"

"Ugh, stop screaming, it's making my head ache even more," came Hobbes's muffled yet slightly uneasy voice.

Calvin was overjoyed. "Thank God you're still alive, Hobbes! I thought I would have to go to prison or something! I'll kill you later for making me think you were dead! Why didn't you answer me when I called you?"

"Wow, déjà vu," muttered Hobbes. "Did you only come home now or are there two Calvins that I shouldn't know about? Ooh, my head …"

"What are you talking about?!" exclaimed Calvin, crawling over to where he was lying earlier. "Did you get knocked out or something? The Transmogrifier is supposed to be quick and painless, not three seconds and painful!"

"Well, I remember seeing darkness 'cause there's no holes in this thing, and then I felt a slight zing, then I was in more darkness. I heard someone calling and guess what, woke up to more darkness –"

"I get it, I get it!" barked Calvin, lying on his stomach again. He knocked against the cardboard again. "How do you feel?"

"Other than feeling like I'm being suffocated, I feel much the same. Except, I feel … colder."

"Well, it is Autumn," replied Calvin. Then he did a retake. ""Colder?""

"No Calvin, I'm as hot as the sun, 'cause it's all nice and stuffy in here and smells like oven French fries. Of course I'm flipping cold!"

Could it be …?

"Hobbes, stick your head out from underneath the box!"

Immediately the box began to lift up, and Hobbes did what he was told, sticking his head out.

Calvin gasped. He was staring into someone else's face, which was so close to his own. Longish orange-flame-red bangs fell past the person's ever-tan face. His eyes were just like a cat's: emerald-green and gleaming, staring right into Calvin's eyes. His nose, nearly touching the teen's nose, was lean and normal. His mouth was curled into a deep frown, the kind only cats could make.

"How do I look?" the person said in a familiar voice with bubblegum breath.

Calvin reached out and put a hand on the person's cheek, smooth under his touch. No fuzz at all.

This head didn't belong to Hobbes the tiger. It belonged to Hobbes the _human._

* * *

**Mwahaha, I did it at last! I updated this, and finally got Hobbes humanized! :3 :3 :3 I finished my exams, so I'm on school holidays now. :D I'd like to thank everyone who faved this story and told me to get my bum into gear and actually update! ^3^ I also thank my Calvin & Hobbes books, especially Something Under The Bed Is Drooling, which helped me put eel, bug and the other things onto the Transmogrifier. The "tiger" and "Calvin" ones were when Calvin turned into a tiger and back to himself again. The "worms" were when Calvin made copies of himself and then transmogrified them into worms. ^-^**

**I hope this was a good enough chapter. :) If any of you find the insults and humor inappropriate, or if I need something else in this story, or the grammar and spelling is not good, please tell me! I'm trying ever so hard to make it seem like this is what Calvin and Hobbes would do in a real comic (fighting, plotting, and all the other stuff I mentioned in Hobbes's "meditation".) ;) Other characters will appear soon, I promise! And y'know when Hobbes said "the most greatest"? I meant that as a REAL grammatical error. :) Dun worry, I put it there on purpose.**

**One or two of you out there asked me about a possible Hobbes/Calvin romance. I pretty much put lots of hints in this chappa, hey? ;) I'll think about it, and who knows? Maybe they'll experiment … don't kill me for saying that!! 3333**

**And the "gullible" thing really doesn't work, I'm sorry. I nearly fell for that when my friends told me about it. XD**

**Reviews are welcome! :)**

**Happy holidays, everybody! ;)**

**Gullible, gullible, gullible, gullible, gullible, gullible, gullible, gullible … **


	4. Here I Am

**Chapter 4: Here I Am**

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* * *

**"Hobbes," Calvin whispered, unsure of himself. "Is that really you?"

Emerald eyes blinked back in a confused manner. "Did it work?" questioned Hobbes, cocking his head to the side. More strands of fire-colored hair fell past his tan face as he moved, tickling the bare skin on the top of his shoulder, but Hobbes didn't seem to register the sensation yet, his mind and senses were preoccupied with his thinking about the question he had just asked: _Did it work?_

Calvin was silent, too amazed at the fact that not only the Transmogrifier succeeded in the task it was given, but the result of its success was now staring at him with burning curiosity: gone was the Hobbes he once knew, furry, fuzzy, orange-and-white, good 'ol Hobbes. Physically speaking, this person was _not _Hobbes, but … _it was_.

_Note to self: I really must stop thinking a lot, _thought Calvin, feeling a headache coming on.

"I'm waiting, buster," said the cat-like teen, resting his chin on his hand. That's when he noticed it: a hand, not a paw. Stunned for a moment, Hobbes held out his hand in front of his face before his eyes, turning it over and back again, flexing his fingers. Five fingers: thumb, index, middle, ring and pinky. Faint-blue veins visibly showing through his skin of his palm, a bright blue branch trailed down Hobbe's toned, muscular arm.

"Ohhhh my good grieeeef …" Hobbes slowly whispered, rubbing his hands along his arms. "It actually worked …"

"I know, it's weird," Calvin said finally, still surprised. "I thought something would go wrong!"

Knowing Hobbes, he usually would have retorted with a smart-aleck remark whenever Calvin made these kind of statements, like "This must be the first time EVER that something's gone right" or " Wow, you really do have a guardian angel", something along those lines, but the tiger-turned-human had his attention on himself than to make a comment. Hobbes felt his face, smooth and unblemished: no fur or whiskers. His fingers ran over his eyes, nose, mouth and ears – oddly-shaped to him, normal-looking to everyone else. His senses wouldn't be as strong as before.

"This is so …," Hobbes struggled for the right word, "disorientating."

"Hey, you're not the one who's looking at you," said Calvin, pushing back his static hair. Following this statement, Hobbes remembered where he was: lying on the floor and his body nearly a quarter concealed under a large cardboard box. "You wouldn't mind getting this stupid thing off me, would you Calvin?"

"Don't go dissing my invention, dodo brain," said the teen, getting up onto his feet, "otherwise I'll box you in again and transmogrify you into something else. Maybe someone from the Twilight cast."

Hobbes's face wrinkled into disgust. "I'll never look in the mirror again if I looked like Taylor Lautner. He has such a mashed-up face, like mashed potatoes gone wrong."

"So you don't _want_ to be a chick magnet?"

"Why should I, since I already am one?" replied Hobbes. Then he paused. "Well, I _was _one, back in my tiger days. Humans don't look bad, save Susie Derkins. What a babe!" He growled appreciatively and very realistically, using the special technique he taught Calvin.

His friend rolled his eyes. "A simple yes-or-no answer would have sufficed."

Calvin went down on his knees and lifted the box up off of Hobbes, and –

"AUUUGH!!" Calvin shrieked, shielding his eyes and turning his head away from the surprised boy. "Good lord, Hobbes, make yourself decent, man! I think I'm scarred for life!"

The reason for this outburst – and I'm sure you can guess why – was the fact that Hobbes, carefree and good-natured as he was, _was naked_.

"Hmm, I guess I should have put on clothes before being transmogrified, huh?" commented Hobbes, getting up onto his feet. His long hair past his shoulders by an inch, and despite being an inch shorter than the blonde-haired teen, Hobbes was quite muscular and fit than his friend. Unashamedly, he looked down at his body, turning this way and that, obviously pleased at what he saw. "Wow, I'm still hot!"

"Do you mind putting on some clothes?!" said Calvin, his back on Hobbes. "I don't want to risk losing my eyesight."

"I never kicked up a fuss in the past seven years every time _you _were in the nude," replied Hobbes, crossing arms.

"That's different! Look, you know where my clothes are. Get dressed while I go to the bathroom. I told you how desperate I was –"

"Go already!!"

Even though his eyes were covered, Calvin found the door-handle. Making sure his mother wasn't on the warpath, he raced to the bathroom just in time. Now the teen could think properly: Hobbes seemed to be happy with his new self, that's for sure. Happily enough to stay as human? He couldn't tell yet.

_But we'll see tomorrow. Just hope this isn't all too quick for him._

Finishing up in the bathroom, the teen made his way back to his room. He knocked on the door and opened, silently hoping to all things living and righteous that Hobbes had finished dressing. Calvin opened the door, and was relieved to find his friend was all fully-dressed.

Hobbes stood in front of a full-length mirror hanging on the inside of the cupboard door, running his hands through his hair and down his body. He was wearing a blue sweater, a birthday present from a relative overseas, only Calvin never wore it because it was too big for him at the time. Hobbes wore rather expensive-looking denim jeans, which, like the sweater, fitted him perfectly. The cat-like teen was also wearing a pair of slipper-socks.

Hobbes placed his hands on his face, feeling his features again. Now he knew what Calvin meant when his friend saw him the moment he poked his head out the box. "This is totally unbelievable", he whispered, placing his hand on the cold glass surface of the mirror. "Even as a human, I'm still quite handsome."

"Yup, same old Hobbes," Calvin said as he closed the bedroom door, a smile playing on his lips.

Hobbes turned and smiled at him. "Always has, always will be, baby."

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Aw, you're making me blush," said Hobbes, feigning embarrassment. Then in irritation, he batted at his long hair which got in his face. "You don't happen to have something to tie my hair up, do you?"

Calvin stared at him. "What do you think I am, a girl?"

"Well, I _did_ have my suspicions back in the day when we went over to Susie's house once –"

"I didn't expect you to comment!" interjected Calvin, throwing his hands up in the air. "Besides, it was _you_ who wanted to go in the first place."

"I was in it for the free cookies," answered Hobbes, hands on his hips. Then he noticed a black ribbon tied onto the strap of Calvin's backpack, and he narrowed his green eyes. "What's with the ribbon?" he asked as he pointed at the bag.

Calvin shrugged. "I found it at school. I tied it around the strap to symbolize my hate for all things educational."

"How poetic," remarked Hobbes. "So you wouldn't mind if I wore it for a while until I get a proper hair band?"

Calvin nodded. Hobbes took the backpack from the floor and untied the black ribbon from the strap. Then, as if he done this everyday, the teen tied his hair into a low ponytail, though a few strands of hair framed both sides of his face,

"There, now you look less like a girl," said Calvin, approving of his friend's look. "Though when I say less, it still means you look like a girl."

"Says the guy who gave me the ribbon in the first place," replied Hobbes, sticking a tongue out at him. The cat-like teen stood in front of the mirror again, liking what he was seeing. "The girls will go crazy once they set eyes on me."

"Good grief, the Transmogrifier must have boosted your vanity levels _way _too much," said Calvin, rolling his eyes but really glad that Hobbes was okay with his new looks. "And you doubted the Transmogrifier would work in the first place!"

"Trust me, I'll never say anything bad about the Transmogrifier or your inventions ever again," said Hobbes, smiling. He hopped over to his friend and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Calvin! You have no idea how happy I am."

"Aw, get off me, you big sissy," replied Calvin, but he responded to his friend's hug, feeling quite good for helping Hobbes. When they broke apart, the blonde-haired teen said, "And now that we know the Transmogrifier still works, who knows what else we change into! Or _who _else?"

"Yeah, I could change into Brad Pitt!" said Hobbes, grinning. "Or a zombie! Or even one of those alien prawns like in District 9."

Before Calvin could say anything, a call came from downstairs. "Calvin! Is there someone up there with you?"

"Oh damn!" said Calvin, turning his head towards the door worriedly. "How the heck am I gonna tell Mom that I transmogrified you into a human? She'll never believe it. And I don't think she's cooled off yet."

"Calvin! Did you hear me?" Footsteps were heard going up the stairs. Calvin and Hobbes looked at each other.

"Don't worry, I got a plan," said Hobbes, but before Calvin could ask anything, his mother opened the door with a _very_ annoyed expression on her face.

"Calvin, why didn't you –" she started, then she saw Hobbes, who smiled at her, standing beside her son and her expression changed immediately. Annoyance was replaced with softness with a hint of curiosity. Mom looked at Calvin. "Who is this boy?"

"Mom, I can explain –" started Calvin, but he stopped when Hobbes stepped forward with the biggest smile on his face and said, "Really Calvin, you weren't lying when you said your mother was beautiful."

Calvin's mother blushed violently. She looked at her son, who looked slightly dumbfounded, and said, "I didn't realize Calvin spoke of me that way."

"And who could blame him? You are a most beautiful lady," said Hobbes, taking her hand and brought it to his lips. Mom's face was totally red, and she giggled nervously. Calvin stood there, watching the whole performance in total silence – I'm not joking, he didn't say _anything_.

Mom smiled warmly at the boy standing before him, with his unusually good looks and flattering compliments. "You're quite a charmer, young man."

"Please, call me Hobbes," said the cat-like teen, returning a smile and showing his pearly-white teeth. "Actually, my name is Tyler Hobbes, but most people call me Ty. Calvin prefers my last name."

Mom raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You say your last name is Hobbes? What a coincidence! Calvin has this stuffed tiger toy, and its name is also Hobbes."

"I know, Calvin told me about that. He told me how shocked he was when he realized, especially when they called out my name in class."

Mom looked over the boy again. "I haven't seen you around here before, Tyler. Are you new in town?"

"Yeah, my family moves around a lot," replied Hobbes, never missing a beat. "I've been home-schooled since I was six, and I never really got to make any friends, because one day I'm in that city, the next day I'm in another." He looked at Calvin. "Calvin was the first one to talk to me, and I was instantly drawn to him when he told me about his tiger. He invited me over so I could see his tiger buddy."

"Calvin didn't tell me you were coming," said Mom, glancing at her son. "And I didn't hear anyone come in through the front door."

"Oh, I came through the window," said Hobbes happily, indicating the window by Calvin's bed. Noticing Mom's worried look, he quickly said, "Don't worry, I know how to climb up trees properly. Calvin said he didn't want to worry you with visitors. He doesn't want anything to hype his mother up."

But both the teens knew how "hyped up" Calvin's mother was earlier. She smiled graciously at Calvin, as if he was some kind of angel from heaven. "That's so sweet of you two. I don't mind you using the front door next time, Tyler."

"Thank you," Hobbes gushed. "You're very kind."

Calvin was truly impressed with Hobbes's performance. The Transmogrifier was not made to boost or change one's personality, but it seemed that Hobbes was now brimming with charm and confidence. It's as if he were Tyler Hobbes all his life. Now it was his turn to say something. "Mom, Tyler may be around until Dad gets home. Will that be a problem?"

"Of course not, Calvin," said his mother. She turned to Hobbes again. "Would you like to stay for dinner, Tyler?"

"I would love to, but my parents expect me back around that time. They'd like to know how my first day was," said Hobbes. He placed a hand on Calvin's shoulder. "And obviously I want to tell them about Calvin. He's the first real friend I had for ages. I hope you won't get angry with him for inviting me around. I'd feel awful if he got into trouble."

Mom blushed. Calvin knew what Hobbes was talking about: the trouble he caused at school for all his teachers. To make himself look guilty, the cat-like teen went as far as giving Mom sad eyes, lowering his head sadly.

It worked.

Calvin's mother cleared her throat. "Well, it was lovely meeting you, Tyler. Perhaps I'll ask your family around one of these days. And Calvin," she looked at her son, "your father will be working late tonight, so you can relax about getting another lecture. I won't have us waiting up until 21:45."

With that, Mom smiled back at the boys and exited the room, closing the door. Until they heard her footsteps had finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the teens began talking at once.

"Flipping hell, Hobbes, you did it!" exclaimed Calvin, taking the cat-like teen by his shoulders and giving him the biggest hug he'd ever give anyone. "Not only did you just save me from my parents' wrath, but you actually convinced Mom you were some new kid in my class! I mean, you even convinced _me _that you are Tyler Hobbes! You could win an Oscar with a performance like that!"

Hobbes blushed. "I can't believe I said all those things, right to your Mom's face, of all people. It just came into my head. Though mind you, kissing her hand was totally genuine. I always wondered why people in those old movies did that."

"You're a human now, Hobbes," said Calvin, patting his friend's shoulder. "You can do anything you want."

The cat-like teen smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "Do you think "Tyler" suits me? The name sounded really close to "tiger", after all."

"Is the sky blue? Is the world round? Am I not a genius? Of course "Tyler" suits you!" Calvin answered. "But personally, I prefer just calling you Ty. In public, of course."

"Tyler" growled in delight. "This is gonna be great! If I can fool your Mom, I can fool anyone!" Then he dropped his voice. "Too bad I'm going to be like this for one day."

Calvin sighed. It's nice enough that Hobbes could go to school with him, experience a full day outside the house and socialize with the world out there. But they couldn't keep up the charade forever. People would starting asking Hobbes questions, where'd he come from, what's his parents like, what subjects he was good at, etc. And Mom and Dad would suspect too, wouldn't they? Poor Hobbes wouldn't be able to last under the pressure.

But Calvin didn't want to think about it. He was more concerned about what was happening now. The teen wanted to make sure Hobbes will have the best day ever tomorrow, a day so unforgettable, a cherished memory that will last forever.

"Don't worry, Hobbes," said Calvin. "You can always be turned into a human again. Maybe become Brad Pitt like you said, and maybe even get you an Oscar for real this time. And I'll be your prawny sidekick, your personal Christopher Johnson."

Hobbes grinned at his best friend. "At least that statement confirms you're actually an alien from space."

Calvin gave him a look, but inside he was ecstatic. There was so much to prepare for. "C'mon, we better start planning right now. We don't wanna leave things to the last minute."

"Oh my God, is this really Calvin, or did he clone himself again?" asked Hobbes, pretending to be surprised.

"I developed a conscience after my bathroom break," replied the teen. "That cupcake was completely –"

"Enough already!" exclaimed Hobbes, wanting to relent to his tiger instinct and pounce on his best friend. Instead they both sat on the floor and began to prepare for the most awesome day ever – and the sleeping arrangements.

Little did they know, as they were talking to each other, they failed to notice the Transmogrifier acting strangely. A tiny buzzing sound emitted from the box, a sounds the teens could not hear over their talking. The buzzing suddenly became high-pitched:

zzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZ!

Then a small popping sound came. And the buzzing began to go lower and lower, as well as slower and slower.

And the Transmogrifier was silent.

Forever.

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**First off, happy New Year to you all! :D :D :D Cookies for you!!!**

**I apologize to everyone for the lateness of this chapter. School started last week (I passed into the next grade!!) and I've been busy ever since. You wouldn't believe the workload: Geography, Natural Science, Maths, Afrikaans … and tomorrow's only the fourth day. :( I hope you've been patient with me, even though I said "it's coming soon!", so now I feel totally guilty. Please also forgive me for rushing this chapter, too. And the usual apologies to those who may be offended by the humor I use, but I want to make it all Calvin &Hobbes-like. :) Though there's not much, I admit, 'cause I rushed this. :)**

**My birthday is coming up (yay!), just so you know. :3 So much is happening is happening this year: the 2010 World Cup (not I'm a soccer fan, but since I live in Cape Town in good 'ol South Africa (and no, I don't have a pet cheetah ^-^), everyone's getting in a buzz) … that's about it really. I finally watched District 9 (local is lekker!), and even I was like "Whoa, this is South African!". I even went and dropped a few D-9 references in this chapter. And who knew aliens could swear? Or is that the bad influences of us S. Africans? ;) I laughed at Sharlto Copely's accent (totally Joburg-Afrikaner!), though. I'm sorry, but I'm obsessed with District 9 at the moment! :D Oh yes, I hate Twilight. Taylor Lautner does have a mashed-up face (mind you, I said worse), but that's my opinion.**

**And just a wonder, I want to know about you guys' views on Calvin/Hobbes slash. I'm not totally sure of the pairing, but I'm reading a C&H fic called "Done Up My Buttons And Unstitched My Seams" by Cleo Leo, and my view of the pairing has softened. It's really an enjoyable story, and I urge some you to read it, because it's a beautifully-written story about friendship and romance. I just want your opinions, and to check out Cleo's story. :)**

**Chapter 5 will come soon (I'm such a liar like Hobbes), and don't hesitate to tell me about grammar/spelling mistakes! :3**

**Reviews are welcome! :)**

**Seeya! :) **


	5. A Day in the Life

**In all my excitement, I realized I never wrote a disclaimer (how clumsy of me!).**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Calvin & Hobbes or any related characters. They all belong to Bill Watterson, except the plot line and any original characters that pop up. The closest I'll ever come to owning C & H is this fanfic and the comic books. 'Nuff said. **

**Chapter 5: A Day in the Life**

An hour had passed, and the duo came up with a fool-proof plan (well, _they_ seemed to think so): "Tyler" would see himself out before dinner and leave casually through the front door. Then, without anyone around to see him, he would run into the backyard and climb up the tree by Calvin's bedroom window. Calvin was to leave the window unlocked so Hobbes could enter through the teen's window into the bedroom. There he would stay until the next morning. There was talk of sleeping in the tree-house, but the idea was turned down.

"You're not a walking fur coat anymore, Hobbes," said Calvin. "Nights during autumn are damn freezing."

"If that's why your feet are always like ice-blocks during this time of year," said Hobbes, playing with the ribbon in his hair, "then I have to agree with you."

The next phase of the plan was pretty simple (again, they seemed to think so): Calvin and Hobbes had to wake up very early the next morning (did I say it was simple? A minor lie) and prepare themselves for school. Hobbes liked his sweater-and-denim-jeans ensemble, and the only other things he needed to wear was a pair of decent shoes, a coat and a scarf ("Not only do they keep my neck warm, but they rather make me look sophisticated and stylish," said Hobbes).

Eventually after discussing their plans, Calvin and Hobbes decided to have a little break. They rushed down to the kitchen and got out the milk and cookies – a helluva lot of milk and cookies: since Hobbes was skipping out on dinner, he needed to eat as much as he could – and even without his tiger-like appetite, the green-eyed teen was _very _hungry.

Normally, Calvin's mother would usually object to her son eating too much cookies, especially before a meal, but she was still under Tyler's charming spell, so she gave the duo permission to have as much cookies and milk _as they wanted!_

So long as they didn't get hyper and cause her any trouble, Mom had said, obviously directing this statement only towards Calvin.

"Y'know, I get the feeling Mom doesn't trust me when it comes to my actions and behavior," said the teen to Hobbes, munching hungrily on a chocolate-chip cookie. They were now sitting in the kitchen, the cookie tin and a whole jug of milk open on the table.

Hobbes rolled his eyes. "Seven years, and you only suspect this _now_?"

Calvin shrugged. "It's one of many delayed reactions."

"How delayed can you get?" remarked Hobbes as he started on his sixth cookie. The cat-like teen was not as hungry as he was before, but he seemed satisfied enough. In two bites he finished the cookie and purred contently purely out of habit. Of course, it sounded very realistic.

After their long snack break, Calvin and Hobbes spent the rest of the afternoon creating a story behind Tyler Hobbes: he was Calvin's cousin who was visiting from out of town and staying with his relatives, and he was considering becoming a temporary student at Calvin's school. Naturally, Hobbes had doubts about this plan.

"You think they'd be that stupid to believe such a story?" asked Hobbes.

His friend just stared at him. "Trust me, Ty, they're _that _stupid."

"Takes one to know one, huh?" Hobbes replied, only to receive a mouthful of words enough to make his ears turn red as his hair. But Hobbes was used to Calvin's curses and rants, though mind you, he had no idea where the blonde-haired boy learned to speak such overrated language (he suspected those horror/thriller movies Calvin liked to watch out of boredom, like the entire _Saw _series).

After Calvin finished talking "nicely" to his friend, they both went up to his bedroom and started organizing his school things. The blonde-haired teen gave Hobbes a spare exam pad, a 2D ring file, an old pencil case from years ago containing two pencils, a pen, a pair of scissors, a glue-stick, a ruler and a highlighter that still worked, and finally a black school bag.

"I'll make sure that you'll be in the same classes as me," said Calvin, "so that you can share some of my textbooks, though we don't have much. It's just _Classroom_ _Mathematics_ and _Lord of the Flies_. The teachers at school give us textbooks for History and stuff like that and we give them back at the end of the lesson."

"Such a waste of paper," said Hobbes, once again playing with his ribbon. It was just his tiger instinct coming alive again. Calvin swatted the cat-like teen's hand away from the ribbon, causing Hobbes to growl of out annoyance.

"You must stop doing that, otherwise people will think you got fleas or something," said Calvin, rolling his eyes.

"Now that you mention it –"

"Ugh, I was being sarcastic, you imbecile!" said Calvin disgustedly. "Who the hell has fleas?!"

"…"

The thirteen-year-old stared at Hobbes with obvious disgust. "You're sleeping on the floor tonight."

The hours had flown by, it was nearly evening. The boys spent those hours going over the plans and having a quick game of football out in the back yard. They played, they argued, they fought and they laughed. When the game finished, the end result was a bruise on the back and a bite-mark on the arm. Oh, and Hobbes won.

Calvin winced slightly as he touched his bitten arm. "You cheated."

"Who whacked me with the football in the first place?" replied Hobbes, rubbing his back.

Before they could argue any further, the blonde-haired teen suddenly jumped in surprise. "Good grief!" he exclaimed, looking down at his wrist to check the time – only to remember that he did not wear a watch. He ignored his minor mistake and said to Hobbes, "It's getting late. Ty, I think it's time to carry out phase one of the plan."

Hobbes raised an eyebrow curiously. "I see you're calling me "Ty" a lot more now."

"Yeah, well, I have too, since you're a human now," answered Calvin. "You look more like a Tyler than a Hobbes."

As they walked towards the house, Calvin hadn't noticed, or even realized, that a look of sadness had passed over Hobbes' fine features. It came and went in less than two seconds.

_More like Tyler, _he thought heavily. _Less like Hobbes._

This thought alone convinced the ex-tiger that his want to be someone different was a reality.

_It's what I wanted, yet … why does it feel like I made a mistake?_

"It was very lovely to meet you, Tyler," said Mom, holding out her hand to shake Tyler's own hand. Instead, the boy took her hand and repeated the same gesture he committed earlier – he brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on top of it. She blushed with pleasure.

"Trust me, it was nowhere near as lovely as meeting you," replied Hobbes, smiling warmly at Mom, who giggled a bit _too _loudly. It's not often that she came across a gentleman like Hobbes nowadays: her husband was close enough, but these days he was called away to work so much and she was left at home to herself, and Calvin … well, he was Calvin. No need for explanation there.

"Do come around with your family for dinner one of these days," Mom said as she composed herself. "If it's not too much trouble, of course."

"Sure, I'll ask my folks," said Hobbes, nodding. He passed a glanced at Calvin, who was standing beside his mother, and said, "They'll probably like you as much I like you and Calvin. And that's a lot."

Calvin rolled his eyes. His mother noticed this and gave him a quick glare before appearing solemn. Hobbes had to bite his tongue in order to not laugh at Mom's actions. She _never _acted angry or disciplined Calvin in front of guests, unless it was for a really, really good reason.

Hobbes opened the front door and turned to look at both mother and son. "Thanks so much for inviting me around to your house, Calvin." And to Mom he said, "Again, I'm so sorry to have inconvenienced you. I forgot to tell Calvin about telling you about my visit."

"Don't worry about it, Tyler. Really," said Mom, smiling at him. "Have a safe trip home, and come again soon – through the front door, I hope."

"Bye Ty, seeya at school," said Calvin, flashing a wink at the cat-like teen. Hobbes winked back, and with a hop in his step he went out through the open door and was gone.

Mom crossed her arms and look at her son with an unusual smile on her face, often reserved when she knew he did something wrong.

"Tyler is really one-of-a-kind, isn't he?" she said, and Calvin rolled his eyes again. "Honestly Calvin, I think he has a good influence over you. It's a good thing you're friends with someone who's actually a living person for a change."

_Oh, if only you knew, lady, _thought the blonde-haired boy as he grinned to himself. _If only you knew …_

"Oh, and another thing," started his mother, interrupting his thoughts. Her tone of voice changed slightly. "Don't think I've forgotten about what happened today at school, young man. If you don't mind, even though I seriously doubt it, I have a task for you as punishment for your actions and the way you behaved –"

She went on and on. Calvin only groaned.

The moment he came out the house, Hobbes casually walked down the sidewalk until he was right by the backyard. He looked around cautiously for anyone walking around and thankfully there wasn't one person in sight. Then he dashed into the backyard as if he was chased by a T-Rex … if only.

Hobbes came to a sturdy tall tree which was right outside Calvin's bedroom window. Without hesitation he started to climb up the tree, and pretty soon he was on the top-most branch that was nearest to the window. Slowly and carefully, he made his way to the window and opened it. The cat-like teen jumped into the bedroom and breathed a sigh of relief: people might have assumed he was a burglar or something.

_A cat burglar__, _Hobbes thought with a devious smile.

Yawning tiredly, he sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Calvin to return. Minutes passed, and Hobbes lay back on the bed, fighting to keep his weary, emerald eyes open. He ate too much cookies, and all that eating made him feel sleepy. But he had to wait for Calvin.

And he waited and waited and waited …

Much to his dismay, Calvin was forced to do the grocery shopping as punishment for his misbehavior, his constant disruptions in class, blah blah blah. Naturally he complained about this, going on about forced labour and lawsuits against his mother. Not that Mom listened, of course. The thirteen-year-old often wondered if the woman was really his mother.

"She and Dad could be aliens," he muttered as grabbed a pack of sugar from the shelf at Seven Eleven. "That would explain why they don't me to watch TV. They don't want me to discover their dirty little secret."

Paying for the groceries, Calvin walked home ("Dad would be _so _proud of me," he mumbled sarcastically. "I'm building bloody character and a mega leg-ache."), and his mother seemed to be happy enough.

"I hope you learned your lesson," said Mom as she took the groceries from Calvin.

"Yeah yeah, crime doesn't pay, 2 + 2 = 4, I get it," replied her son – when she was out the room obviously. Like he needed another lecture on goodness and respect. Bah!

Soon the teen and his mother were eating a very early supper: Dad, like I said before, was coming home very late, so they decided not to wait until then for a group dinner. Surprisingly, Calvin didn't make any snide remarks about Mom's food set before him – some odd dish called saltimbocca, which was made of meat, herbs and bacon – nor did he attempt to try and not eat it. His mind was heavily on Hobbes, whom he ashamedly forgot about during the shopping trip, that he didn't register what he was eating.

After dinner, the teen hurriedly rushed upstairs to check on Hobbes.

_He'll kill me for keeping him waiting, _he thought. _And he says _I'M_ impatient! Yeah, right!_

Calvin got to his bedroom door and opened it, half-expecting Hobbes to pounce on him and go all Mom on him and start lecturing. Instead, when Calvin looked inside his room, he couldn't help but smile at what he saw.

Hobbes was sprawled out across Calvin's bed – and he was fast asleep, out like a light bulb. He made little snoring noises, which sounded like purring and growls mixed together. He muttered something like "cookies" in his sleep.

Calvin walked over to his best friend's side and patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"Good 'ol Hobbes," he whispered, smiling warmly. "What a pal. Now where am _I _gonna sleep?"

**The next morning** … 

The morning breeze swept gently through the still, silent suburb. Abandoned leaves on the pavement became alive again, ready to participate in another dance, but the breeze changed its mind, and just as it came it had gone, never to return again. The forlorn leaves dropped to the cold ground, ceasing to move until a suitable partner turned up.

When the gentle wind passed on through the area, Calvin finally stepped out the house. There was no way in hell he was gonna go out and get smacked in the face by the cold hard wind, no chance.

_Damn stupid cold, _he thought miserably. _Damn stupid everything._

The reason Calvin was all crabby was that he had to wake up _so _early in the bloody morning for once in his life (apart from Saturday mornings). He slept uncomfortably during the night, because a certain someone had taken up a great amount of space in his bed (_Damn Hobbes_). Calvin had set his alarm clock for 7:55, so the moment the clock started to ring, the teen fell out of bed with a scare, head-first. Hobbes remained asleep but was rudely woken up from his beauty sleep by Calvin, who was ranting and raving like a madman.

When all was quiet, the two friends got ready for school while trying not to wake Calvin's parents. They got dressed (well, Hobbes didn't need to: he fell asleep in his clothes) and Calvin went downstairs and came back up with two HUGE bowls of cereal – Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs, of course. For energy, Calvin said.

"Flip, even _I_ don't need that much energy," said Hobbes, poking at the heavily sugar-coated chocolate balls with plain disgust.

Then Calvin went back down to the kitchen, threw the dishes in the sink and began to make his and Hobbe's school lunches, which wasn't as easy as he thought. He got peanut butter and jam all over his shirt, and somehow it got in his hair. Don't ask me why.

"I'm so glad I'm not a mother!" the teen said when he got back to his bedroom with their lunches. "The way I make food, I'd probably kill my own children!"

"Trust me, you already killed me already," replied Hobbes, rubbing his aching belly. "Egad, I hate that stupid food you call cereal. It's poison to the brain."

"Oh, you have a brain now?" remarked Calvin as he changed his shirt and cleaned his hair, and put on his favourite blue coat.

With his backpack and lunch, the blonde-haired teen went downstairs again. Now he stood at the school bus-stop in the bitter cold air. His teeth chattered slightly, and a shiver ran through his body. How he wished Hobbes was a tiger again.

"The times when I actually need a fur coat," Calvin muttered under his breath.

No more than five minutes later, "Tyler Hobbes" came sauntering towards the bus-stop, wearing black-and-white sneakers, a grey coat and his favourite purple scarf with his clothes. His schoolbag hung limply from his shoulder. His eyes shined and his lips were curled into a good-natured smile.

Just as they had planned, Hobbes would leave the house through the window, in case Calvin's parents would wake up and see him. The cat-like teen closed the window behind him and with ease he climbed down the tree and came out the backyard. He walked up the side-walk as if he came from down the street. No one would know where he came from.

"Took you long enough," said Calvin when Hobbes met up with him, "Tyler."

"Sorry, Mr Crabby-pants," said Tyler, smoothing his orange-red hair. Strands of that hair framed his tan face, making him seem more care-free. "I can't wake up so early in the morning. I usually sleep in a little bit more."

"Now you know how I feel," replied Calvin, putting his hands on his hips.

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Like I'd ever feel _that_ stupid."

This triggered Calvin to start screaming colorfully at his friend, who started to laugh with early-morning humor. They didn't notice Susie Derkins walking towards them.

Susie, always the early-bird, was surprised to see Calvin awake so early at this time, who was actually _waiting _at the bus-stop instead of hiding off somewhere to avoid going to the place he hated the most apart from his own house. And the hospital. And the barbershop. And any camping sites. Oh, and her house, too.

What really surprised her was the sight of the handsome boy that stood next to Calvin, laughing away at the blonde-haired teen that was throwing obscenities at him.

Susie eyed him with curiosity as she got closer to the duo. An inch shorter than Calvin, yet undeniably cuter. Unblemished tan skin, a fit physique, flame-coloured hair in a low pony-tail, emerald-green eyes that shined, a charming smile …

_He must be insane then, _Susie thought suspiciously. _Anyone who talks to Calvin and actually looks happy in his company must DEFINTELY be insane._

The girl took a deep breath before she was in arms-length of Calvin and the boy. She cleared her throat and said, "Hello."

That's all it took. Calvin stopped screaming and Hobbes ceased his laughing. They turned and saw Susie standing there with a little smile. Naturally, Calvin scowled at her and Hobbes smiled with delight.

"If I suddenly died and this is heaven," said Tyler to Susie, "then you must be an angel."

Just like Calvin's mother before her, Susie blushed, but she wouldn't let this silly, slick line from a complete stranger, handsome as he was, deter her. No way.

"Good morning," she said, directing this greeting towards the two teen boys. "Before I tell you how surprised I am to see you here at this hour, Calvin, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Oh please, I don't even need an introduction," said Tyler before his friend could say anything, eyeing the teenage girl. She wore the same coat from the previous day, a light blue shirt and grayish-black jeans, plus white sneakers.

Calvin rolled his eyes before answering Susie, "This is Tyler Hobbes, my cousin from outta town. He's gonna be a temporary student at our school."

"Your _favourite _cousin from outta town," interjected Tyler, throwing an arm around Calvin's shoulders. "He even named his stuffed tiger after me."

Susie raised her eyebrows. "You never told me you had a cousin," she said to Calvin. To Tyler Susie said, "You're _actually _related to Calvin?"

"Why, is that a compliment?" Calvin muttered sarcastically, brushing off his "cousin's" arm.

"Honestly Calvin, you take everything so seriously," both Tyler and Susie said simultaneously. They looked at each other and smiled, out of shyness (Susie) and liking (definitely Tyler).

"Um, so how long are you attending our school?" asked Susie, a little nervous and trying to start a proper conversation. She felt her face suddenly become warmer.

"That's classified information which you, of all people and dictators alike, don't need to know," answered Calvin instead, pulling Tyler onto the other side of him. "So build a bridge and get over it!"

Susie looked the picture of rage when the school bus came just in time (thank goodness!) from around the corner and down their street. Calvin was spared an unpleasant, impending death at the hands of Susie Derkins.

The bus stopped in front of them, and Calvin and Tyler noticed some of the kids looking through the windows down at them, pointing and staring at the cat-like teen standing with Dennis the Menace, as Calvin was known at school (among _other _names, which I simply cannot mention). The door opened, and without sparing a glance at the duo, Susie entered the bus with silent anger.

Calvin and Tyler Hobbes looked at each other.

"This is it, old buddy," started Calvin, taking a brief glance at the bus and back to his friend. "We're on our way."

"Where to?" asked Hobbes stupidly, though he already knew the answer.

Calvin sighed. "To Hell."

**You know, I started writing this chapter like TWO days after I uploaded the last chapter, which was a month ago. ^^; I can honestly say I'm not entirely happy with this chappy (ooh, that rhymes!), mainly because I didn't put a lot of effort into it, and because it's long and boring (not much humor, sob sob). I would have written more, like writing about Hobbe's first day at school, but I really don't have time, so I'll have to do it in the next chapter. :)**

**Ha, I finally hooked Susie in! :D I really want to speed up a bit! Oh yes, in case you get confused, I'll only mention Hobbe's human name – Tyler – if he's speaking to anyone else or if he's at school, Calvin's house, etc, etc. His real name will be mentioned if he's around Calvin, who'll occasionally call him "Tyler" or "Ty", I assure you.**

**I want to thank every single one of you out there – reviewers, favers, alerters and readers – for being patient with me (I hope!) and I apologize for delaying time. :) You guys are awesome!**

**As always, please tell if I made any spelling/grammatical errors, and I apologize if you find the humor inappropriate (if you feel uncomfortable in any way, I suggest you click the Back button at the top). And I'd love to hear your opinions on C/H slash, please. This fic is not slash, but I'm reading a charming story filled with C/H slashy goodness (my opinion!) by Cleo Leo. So don't hesitate to tell me. :D**

**Reviews are welcome! :)**

**Seeya! ;)**


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